False Economy

[Slartibartfarst42]

In the past I've always made sure I've bought decent gear even though it usually costs a bit but then I've always been happy with the results. You get to trust certain brands. I've always found Digitech and especially Hardwire to be excellent while EHX gear has usually been poor. Anyway, I was looking for a noise gate to tame the high gain channels on my amp and I stumbled across GLX pedals that are apparently good clones of Boss pedals and it is suggested they're even made in the same factory. At £31 for a Noise Gate it seemed like it was worth a punt and when it arrived it did look like good quality but the problem was it just didn't work. Loads of controls that did nothing and it certainly didn't reduce noise. In the loop it actually made things worse! Disgruntled I sent it back for a refund.

Vowing to not make the same mistake a again, I bought an ISP Decimator. It looks flash in chrome but also very simple with just one control to use. What a transformation! Plug it in, turn it on and dial the only control until the hum stops and that's it - a simpleton could use it. Even on my highest gain channel, with the gain maxed out, it completely silences the amp and sucks no tone at all. Moving the single rotary control to somewhere between 11 O'Clock and 1 O'Clock seems to work best. If anyone is looking for a Noise Gate/Noise Reducer I can heartily recommend the ISP Decimator. It costs a bit more but what's the point in saving money if what you're buying doesn't work? I bought my ISP Decimator on Ebay for £70 and thus far it's one of the best £70 I've ever spent.

[tomjackson]

Generally true but there are a few exceptions, tonerider and coolcat pedals, Classic Vibe Fenders etc.  All seem okay at decent prices.

I've had a few EHX pedals and since they have sorted their bypass issues out I've found them really good for the price.

I suppose Noise gates are a bit more specialist, I would imagine it's a lot easier to get a £30 overdrive that's okay than a noise gates.

But I agree, best to but quality once than a load of shite that does not work....

[Slartibartfarst42]

Never tried Tonerider or Coolcat but I certainly take the point. My old Bad Monkey was a fantastic Overdrive pedal despite only costing £30 and if I ever need an overdrive pedal again, I will certainly look to that first but as you say, perhaps overdrive is just that bit easier to do than a noise gate.

I think that's me pretty much done for pedals now as for the first time in ages I have no pressing GAS for pedals. I've just sold my Weeping Demon because I can't find a decent pedalboard case that will fit it inside and have a Mark Tremonti Wah coming in its place. I've never tried it before but it seems to have a good reputation so I thought I'd give it a go.

[Roobubba]

Not used the ISP Decimator pedal, but I absolutely swear by my ISP Decimator ProRackG. It's a lot more expensive (it has an extra channel which is linked so you can kill preamp noise and loop noise without affecting the signal), but it's absolutely superb! Thoroughly recommended.

Roo

[dave_mc]

Generally true but there are exceptions,

that's the way i'd look at it too

the decimator is great, though :)

[Telerocker]

Generally true but there are exceptions,

that's the way i'd look at it too

the decimator is great, though :)

+1. I use an old Boss BF2-flanger pure for doublings, say twelve string effect. Fellowguitarists like that subtle chorussound a lot.

[ericsabbath]

I have great results with the Rocktron Hush
I had the old big blue pedal with 2 switches for years
it was US$30 used on ebay, but it has inverted in/out jacks (pain in the ass to fit a pedalboard), so I sold it and bought the new Reaction Hush (about $50 new)
works pretty well cutting the hiss before the amp input
it doesn't eat my tone at all

[Philly Q]

Here's a dumb question:

Presumably a noise gate is particularly useful with single-coil pickups?  Does it solve the problem of single-coil hum, or is that not really what it's meant for?

[AndyR]

Here's a dumb question:

Presumably a noise gate is particularly useful with single-coil pickups?  Does it solve the problem of single-coil hum, or is that not really what it's meant for?

It'll do that Philly, and hiss from high levels of gain or whatever.

Basically, you set the threshold high enough so that background noise can't open it. But low enough that the notes you play kick the gate open and you hear them. When the signal level goes low enough again, the gate shuts and you don't hear anything.

The noise is still there when the gate is open, but your playing usually covers it sufficiently.

[Philly Q]

Thanks Andy.  :)

The noise is still there when the gate is open, but your playing usually covers it sufficiently.

And that, presumably, is why the quest for hum-cancelling "single-coils" continues.

[AndyR]

Thanks Andy.  :)

The noise is still there when the gate is open, but your playing usually covers it sufficiently.

And that, presumably, is why the quest for hum-cancelling "single-coils" continues.

I assume so :)

Personally, I don't like noise gates. I've got them all over my modellors etc, and I switch them off on every patch :lol:. It might be that I've never learnt to use them well enough, but they make a slight difference to the signal, especially the tail.

I have to use a noise gate when I'm recording vocals at my place, especially the lead, otherwise I get noise from outside, next-door, the missus, or the creaking floorboards, on the track. I have learnt to set a gate up for that without affecting the vocal. But I have to remember to switch it off if I then direct the mic at an acoustic guitar - I'd rather put up with the noise or redo the take than have the unnatural decay I get. That seems to be ok though, because noise seems to show up more on a lead vocal track and something has to be done.

If the song has no drums though, sometimes the "silence" the noise gate produces when the signal drops can even show up on the lead vocal track. If it sounds too unnatural, I'll turn the gate off on the vocal as well and try to avoid or to incorporate the environmental background!


I've never got into noise gates for electric guitar, though, even though I'm a single coil user. And I'm not fussed about losing the noise anyway. When you're playing, it hardly shows. And if you're with other musicians, it's hardly noticable. And if there's a drummer in the mix as well, that covers an awful lot of what you think of as your "guitar tone" anyway - and the noise is included in that portion.

When I was starting out, playing in a bedsit or whatever, yes the noise coming out of a strat seems thunderous and you're a bit worried. But the minute you starting using it in band environment you forget all about it (I did anyway).

Have to say though, I've never had a desire to use a lot effects in front of an amp - so I've never had that "Jeez - what's that racket coming out of yourn ampleefier??!" from other band members in a rehearsal :lol: (I actually quite like the noise though, it's part of the whole "organic music thing" in my mind. Even on studio recordings - listen to Queen's "White Man" on Day At The Races, for example. When I first heard that in 1980 or so, I thought "well, if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me").



I do have question though, came up while I was typing this waffle:

How does a noise gate in your signal chain tame the hi-gain of your amplifier itself? I'd always assumed that the gate was before the amp when used like this - so it can't tame the noise from the amp itself (it can in a modellor or in the studio, because you can put the gate after the amp). Am I missing something? Can you put the gate in the FX loop to knock the noise off the preamp stage, is that it? I don't use these sorts of amps though, in all the ones I own, the hiss comes from the power amp, but I've never been allowed to use them that loud anyway, so it doesn't matter! :lol:

[Roobubba]

The Decimator is not a noise gate, it's a noise suppressor: very different! The prorackG version I have has 2 channels. One channel goes up front of the amp, the other goes into the loop. That cuts out preamp noise (mains related noise especially) by tracking the signal that goes into the front end and culling noise that doesn't correlate with that. It works incredibly well!

[Dmoney]

well the NS-1 Boss is a 'suppressor' but it's really a gate... I think.
you can wrap one of those around your input and FX loop, but I doubt it does more than gate of noise in sync.

I found using an NS-1 in the loop on my 5150 was really awkward. sounded awful. So i used it up front and that was ok, however there is so much preamp hiss in a 5150 that the only thing the NS-1 does when upfront is just reduce the possibility of instant feedback when you stop playing. You still get the hiss, but it's swamped when your playing like Andy R says. even with no guitar plugged in a 5150 can make enough hiss to annoy me. dreadful.

After I got a quiet amp (still high gain) and some good pickups, I found I didn't need a gate/suppressor. very minimal noise and controllable feedback. solid.

I've no doubt the decimater pedals are great. I'm slightly dubious as to exactly what the processing is like. I have a feeling they don't really compare guitar input to preamp output and filter out noise. Only because the I think separating out noise from from within the frequency range of what your playing/hearing without taking out harmonics and all that or effecting the sound badly seems a bit much. That said... Doesn't mean it doesn't work extremely well!!!!